Herniated Disc Treatment Can Involve Invasive Surgery

Herniated disc treatment is necessary whenever a disc in the lower back has come loose, and has possibly deposited gel into the area of the spine and its connected muscles. The treatment will need to be carried out as soon as the condition can be accurately diagnosed, because a herniated disc is a debilitating and extremely painful condition. It is unlikely that you will be able to work until the problem is dealt with, and the pain can normally only be controlled using powerful painkillers. Extended use of these painkillers can be dangerous.

As there are so many possible causes of back pain, it is vital to have a diagnosis carried out by a professional. You may think you know what the problem is, but you will not have the comprehensive knowledge of back conditions and what causes them that your physician will have. Take advantage of the skill of your physician, as well as the new technology which makes diagnosis far easier and more accurate. We now have the technology to produce an accurate print of the troubled area, so that the problem can be located and identified.

If you are experiencing the type of pain which sufferers from a herniated disc often have to endure, your first inclination will be to want to have surgery as quickly as possible to get rid of the problem. This should be resisted if possible, because if progress can be made using other forms of treatment, it may be possible to avoid surgery altogether. Not all herniated disc conditions involve an actual break in the disc lining, and a spillage of fluid into the joints. If this is not present, manipulative treatment can cure the problem.

If the condition is serious, or if fluid has seeped into the joints, surgery will be the only way to deal with the problem and correct it. This surgery can now be carried out in a far less invasive and dangerous way, using modern laser keyhole surgery techniques. These are expensive, but they allow the patient to return to work and normal life far sooner. This surgery avoids the need to enter the body near major organs, with all the attendant risks this brings.

This type of relatively safe herniated disc treatment is still relatively rare, partly due to the lack of suitable facilities, but more often due to the expense involved. Most operations are carried out in the conventional way, using general anesthetic. Sometimes, the procedure will be even more complicated, as a secondary incision will need to be made for a pipe to be inserted to allow fluid to be drained from the joint areas. This need for a double incision, and a second anesthetic, means that this is an extremely risky form of herniated disc treatment.